Who's turn was it to watch me today? (The Axe tool)

[reible]

Who ever turn it was you didn't do well keeping me from spending money. I headed off to the Woodcraft store with my birthday 10% off card. I had a couple of items in mind as they don't always have something in stock. It was a debate with myself as to what I would get. This is what followed me home:

IMG_3680sc.jpg (300.03 KiB) Viewed 11254 times

Hope to have a chance to use it in the next few days. This is close to the easywood tool I already own but with a couple of extra features. I like how it feels in my hand so I want to see how that translates in to how it works for me while turning.

Ed

[masonsailor2]

That looks interesting Ed. Looking forward to your assessment of it.
Paul

[benush26]

Hey Ed,
I think you'll like the flat bottom surface on the bar. My Sorby Soverign system also has a flat bottom surface which makes it MUCH easier to always start the cut with the bit horizontal. I "think" yours also tapers up to a radiused edge so you can roll it to go to more of a shearing cut. The Sorby is a fixed mechanical so I need to loosen the collet, rotate the bit holder to a fixed 45 degree slot and then re-tighten. A bit time consuming, I've never tried to just roll mine into the shearing position, but I think yours might save time and effort plus better control
It should be fun!!

Be well,
Ben

[dusty]

A budgeted item or no.

I have always thought you ran a pretty tight ship, Ed but you just might be like all the rest of us. When I see something I like/want, the first thing I do is check to see how much of it will I have to put on the plastic. What the credit card will tolerate establishes the answer.

There is a little bit in the secret compartment in my billfold but I seldom go there. When Shopsmith comes to Tucson -- maybe.

[reible]

I had gone to the Woodcraft store earlier in the month to practice buy on the axe tools but the round cutter version was out of stock. They were expecting more in so I was hoping to find one this trip. I kept a couple of other similar price items in mind just in case they didn't have one. The birthday 10% is only good in the month of your birthday and this was my last planed trip to the store this month.

I do have a tool budget and I do try to stick to it. However I do have a lot of flexibility. Like this year I have certain funds set aside(on paper) for lathe items. I got a larger set of jaws for my lathe chuck and this tool so far. I have two more tools I'd like to get this year but they are lower on the list.

I have some things already crossed off the list for this year as the list contained some items I have decided to pass on this year due to space issues. I'd like to find room for a larger bandsaw but I don't see that happening so I have $1200 in the budget without a purpose yet. It will stay there for now and may become some festool item that did not make this years list.

I do have a pool of money for exceptional buys that might come along or for things that might need replacement. I don't like to tap that until later in the year as I always run out of money before my year comes up and then it is a month or two of lean times. I miss those year when I was working and had a couple of hundred dollars every month for tools or toys.

Ed

A budgeted item or no.

I have always thought you ran a pretty tight ship, Ed but you just might be like all the rest of us. When I see something I like/want, the first thing I do is check to see how much of it will I have to put on the plastic. What the credit card will tolerate establishes the answer.

There is a little bit in the secret compartment in my billfold but I seldom go there. When Shopsmith comes to Tucson -- maybe.

[reible]

I too have the sovereign system. Due to how large it is I don't use it a lot since a lot of my work is smaller, well at least for now. The other problem I've had is that it can rust.... I've got rust to clean off mine, put some oil on to stop further progress but have not got back to it to clean it up. When you turn wet wood you really need to clean and dry the tool soon after, wait a couple of days and rust!

I have a couple of round bar tools and they are especially hard to handle. One just loves to catch, a fault of the carbide tip that has an aggressive lip arrangement. It really takes off the material but it almost always gets me. I use it for early ruffing only because of that. The another one is a small tool with a more flat carbide tip and it too is hard to control with the round, I find I don't use it much because of that.

The round bars do allow the rotation but lack the control I feel. I'm hoping the axe tools with the rounding edge and the flats on the handle will allow more control. Time will tell.

The easy tools all have square bars and are easy to handle but lack the rounding that this one has so it will be a new experience.

Ed

Hey Ed,
I think you'll like the flat bottom surface on the bar. My Sorby Soverign system also has a flat bottom surface which makes it MUCH easier to always start the cut with the bit horizontal. I "think" yours also tapers up to a radiused edge so you can roll it to go to more of a shearing cut. The Sorby is a fixed mechanical so I need to loosen the collet, rotate the bit holder to a fixed 45 degree slot and then re-tighten. A bit time consuming, I've never tried to just roll mine into the shearing position, but I think yours might save time and effort plus better control
It should be fun!!

Be well,
Ben

[reible]

I have both the Mini Easy Finisher (6200) and the Mid-Size Easy Finisher (6300). The next tool I had been thinking about is the Full Size Easy Finisher (4200). One of those goes for about $130 and with a sale just over $110. The length is about 24-1/2 overall as a reference.

The Axe is about the same size as the Full Size Finisher. The price is a bit lower being $100 to start with and $90 with my birthday month discount.

Here is a picture that shows the three that I have of this basic design:

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The Easy Wood tools use the handle color to identify the different tool types. The Axe uses the ferrules for that function, note the color they picked by accident???.

Now I think I read somewhere that the carbides are interchangeable between the two, having said that I can not at present locate that "fact". The size seems to be the same, 5/8" dia, and the thread is the same 8-32 so that is promising.

Now Easy Tool has a mark on the bar indicating the maximum extension from the tool rest, The Axe doesn't. The bar is very heavy duty stainless steel and no indications in the paper work on this subject. More research to do.

The Axe has a unique handle, round near the bar and with flats at the end. the Easy Wood tool have ones as pictured and I have no problem with them.

So there is the visual review.

Ed

[reible]

Just got the March Woodcraft flyer in the mail. Spring sale Friday and Saturday March 3&4 15% off. This says only my local store so maybe it's only there but if you shop at woodcraft you might want to check your store. I could have saved a few more $$ with this offer since I wasn't in a rush for the tool, but rather wanted to make sure I didn't waste the percent off.

Ed

[reible]

Stopped by the Woodcraft and got my second The Axe tool. I went with the "square" one this time and with the 15% off this time. The reason for the "square" is this: "This tool features a square carbide bit with the added bonus of an extra square bit with every tool. It will ship with a radius square installed and include a straight square in the package."

I am really liking the feel of these tools so it is likely I get the third one some month this summer. I had allocated $360 for some full size easywood tools so this is well within my budget.

I've also allocated money for a larger then the shopsmith ruffing gouge, perhaps something with M42 steel. Something new to play with, along with a "ellsworth" grind bowl gouge. Haven't picked which one and if I'm going to do my own handles or not. I might turn a practice handle and see how hard it is to get the flats on them so they feel like The Axe tools.

Ed